New tool from Adobe called Shadow helps Web and App Developer alike

If you are using tools like Phonegap/Cordova to create apps, you might need to check out this new application from Adobe called Shadow. Ars Technica has a nice write up on the desktop/mobile app tandem and I have tested it.  It works pretty well - and to be honest it is a little bit spooky.

Here is the direct link to the download: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/shadow/

#adobe #html5 #testing #mobile #phonegap

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Adobe Shadow aims to ease mobile Web development headaches with simultaneous browsing Adobe has prereleased Shadow, a new tool that allows developers to control multiple smartphones and tablets from their PCs, so they can test their sites across a wide range of mobile devices with ease...

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Cudos to Apple for changing the naming scheme for the iPad and updating the developer...

Guess what, not only has the iPad dropped the number from it's name, but it has therefore followed how "normal" people talk about technology. I'm not only favorable for how Apple handles things, but that John Doe comes into the store and wants "the new iPad" sounds true to me. So why not just embrace it. They talk about making things simple, and with 7 different iPad Versions the easiest way is to not use any specifics in the name. Customers on the other hand will talk about their iPad after the purchase, not about their iPad 3 4g LTE 32Gigs ...

But how about developers who have to identify the different versions. Well, Apple has already updated their development website - they call the "new iPad" just high resolution iPad - so alle the iPad HD rumours where not so wrong.

PS: After further inspection not all developer pages are yet updated, but I guess they will follow.

#apple #ipad #development #branding

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iOS Developer Library — Pre-Release Apple Developer. Search. Search iOS Developer Library. PDF Companion File. Table of Contents. Jump To… Download Sample Code.

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Use Git to update your customized Wordpress Themes safely

Using Git to manage Theme Versions in Wordpress is a little bit geeky, but can help you a lot if you customize off the shelf (premium or free) themes. As good as these themes are to get a wordpress site up and running quickly, they also need some tweaking. Preserving these tweaks is not as easy. How can you keep track of sometimes multiple files you modified? Why not use a version control system that helps merging code bases. It let's you test out your tweaks, giving you a quick way back if you break something and it's the best tool to merge your changes into an updated version of the theme. Git is such a solution and it's fairly easy to use, once you pass the first hurdle of grasping the concept.

Git (and Github, the web service where you can host your git repositories) are subject in books and many articles on the web, so I leave that part out. In this little step my step I assume that you have Git installed on the web-server you host your Wordpress installation and have command line (ssh) access.

Setting up a theme with Git

1. Install new theme with Wordpress Install as usually with the management tools provided by Wordpress  
2. Create a new repository on the web-server SSH into the /wp-content/themes/ and create a new repository git init                         // create new repository git add .                        // add all files in folder git commit -m "original version" // commit with comment  
3. Get ready for future updates git branch ready4update          // add new branch This will create a branch in which we will then copy the updated theme files when we need to update
4. Make your modification to the themeNow you can make your changes to the theme as you like - you will continue to make changes to the master branch. You need to commit your changes to register them with git and I highly advise to use the workflow approach described in ProGit to make your work even more efficient. To commit your changes just enter git add .                                // add all files in folder git commit -m "Insert your comment here" // commit with comment  

Update the theme

Now comes the neat part. You have an updated theme and you need to merge it with your customized one. To do this we need to activate the branch we prepared in step 4.

1. Install new theme files git checkout ready4update     // go to branch

   Now copy the updated theme files into the folder and overwrite everything and commit the changes to the ready4update branch.

   git add .                     // add all files in folder git commit -m "updated theme" // commit with comment  

2. Get Master branch ready We go back to our master branch and make a temporary branch to have a save update. git checkout master          // go to master branch git checkout -b tempupdate   // create new temporary branch from master and change to it  
3. Merge the update into the temporary branch And now we merge the two branches git merge ready4update       // merge with tempupdate

   The trick here is that the master and ready4update branch have the original theme as common ancestor. Git can merge this way the changes made by the author of the theme and yours - and if you have conflicts git will help you resolve them.  

4. Test the website Since we have created a tempupdate branch we are working in, even if something brakes badly you can still go back to your previous stable master branch (git checkout master).  
5. Merge into master and get ready for next update If the test went well and your wordpress site works well you should get ready for the next update git checkout master         // go to master branch git merge tempupdate        // merge the branch into master git branch -d tempupdate    // delete temporary branch git branch -d ready4update  // delete ready4update branch git branch ready4update     // create new ready4update branch  

Now you are ready to update your theme or make additional changes to it. Believe me - it looks more complicated then it actually is, so go ahead and try it.

How much Euro? Mobile App

  How much Euro? is the first sales tax aware currency converter. In the US and Canada prices shown in stores are mostly without sales tax. This messes up the result of any normal currency converter.

Not "How much Euro?", which calculates the tax and adds it before converting dollars to euros. This helps travellers, exchange students and other visitors to the US and Canada to understand quickly how much an item costs in Euro just like they are used to in their home country.

If you would like to stay up to date with the latest news about this App:

[one_half]

JUST TOUCH NO KEYBOARD

• Easy enter Dollar amount - just swipe right or left - result updates instantaneously

[/one_half]

[one_half_last]

WHAT IS THE REAL COST

• Shows Euro amounts with and without tax
• Up to date exchange rates through online update
• App stores latest Dollar amount

[/one_half_last]

[one_half]

EASY SETTINGS

• US & Canadian Dollar supported
• Shake your phone to reset Dollar amount
• Easily adjust to the local sales tax by swiping

[/one_half]

[one_half_last]

USE IT OFFLINE

• Stores the last updated rates
• Convert prices without internet access

[/one_half_last]

[one_third]

Android

Download "How much Euro?" on Google Play [/one_third]

[one_third]

iOS/iPhone/iPad

Coming Spring 2012 [/one_third]

[one_third_last]

Windows Phone

[button color=grey url=/contact] Request it[/button]

[/one_third_last]

[alert color=green]Help me Translate this App - [button color=grey url=http://www.getlocalization.com/howmucheuro] Start now [/button][/alert]

How much Euro? My first App ... and the excitement is back

It's done, my first Android App has been submitted to the Android Marketplace. I must admit that I'm proud of myself - it's the first time in years, that I have breached into a new "medium". By that I mean, that I feel the rush to have published something in a way I have never done before, much like the first time I uploaded a website to a server back in 1996, or when my first "Hello World!" was printed on the screen with my C64.

I also felt the same when I saw the first leaflet I designed lying on a counter in a bar - this "I did that, it's my creation and others use it actually".

That someone "uses" something I created is probably the most important part and the most exciting. In all my work, may it be design or development I always try to make something useful (I'm not against beauty, but a chair on which you cannot sit is pointless to me).

An App (native or on the web) is therefore the perfect medium for a "digital product designer" - someone who lives on the bridge between design and development. It contains not only design elements, but usability, development challenges and real world interaction (sometimes). People do not just "visit", they "use" the application.

This excitement will probably fade over time, but I try to keep this excitement alive by learning new stuff all the time. It is the excitement that keeps me searching for new challenges.

How about you, are you still exited about your work? How do you keep the passion for it going?

PS: Here is the link to Google Play

https://market.android.com/details?id=bz.frankie.howmucheuro

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Indesign still not ready for right-to-left languages - yes and no

In this "globalized" world I find it remarkable that inDesign still today has problems with languages who require right to left writing. Even better is, that it actually can layout text for these languages, but it's not exposed. I found this Script which helps you if you need to access this functionality.

#script #indesign #arabic #hebrew #javascript

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InDesigning.net :: Right-to-left, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi ... in InDesign CS4 (none-ME)

My name is Thomas Silkjær and I am currently living in beautiful Aarhus, Denmark, with my wife and daughter, while working as a professional graphic designer in a small design agency, specialized in b...

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Some typographic basics - not just for the web designer

Typography is not only about what font to use, or how it "looks" - it's about making a text easier to read. The rules presented in this great article will help you to make every text more accessible and better looking. In fact, this basic rules work so good, because type designers taylor their fonts to work best when this rules are applied. So go ahead and refresh your memories for a more readable future ;)

BTW: If you are writing or editing text in another language than english, the rules are quite different - so be warned.

#typography #tutorial #guide

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Mind Your En And Em Dashes: Typographic Etiquette - Smashing Magazine | Smashing Magazine An understanding of typographic etiquette separates the master designers from the novices. A well-trained designer can tell within moments of viewing a design whether its creator knows how to work wit...

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Contemporary free display font Archive

I like the all caps display font called Archive because it has a great balance in weight, modern elements and readability. As seen in the examples it works great if you age it, but I think it might show it's best use as a logo font for a tech startup that doesn't want to get lost in the see of soft shapes and script fonts.

#font #free #typography

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Free Fonts Download, Fonts for Free Our goal is to create high-quality Free Fonts which stand in a unique class of their own, and which will serve as a good base for any designer project whether it be web, print, t-shirt design, logo et...

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Easy scanning without alignment just by swiping your mouse

Ok, not with every mouse - but with this new mouse from LG you can scan in a casual fashion. There have been hand scanners in the past, but the software wasn't that flexible. I like this approach very much. I find it especially useful for home offices, where you need to scan sometimes something but don't have the space for a full flat bed scanner.

#products #design #innovation #ux

[asa]B0053T0HNI[/asa]

Reshared post from +Giles Pettipher

LG Mouse/Scanner..

It's a Scanner in your Mouse...

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Let's get Ultrabold, with Bemio a new font from the Lost-Type CoOp

Bemio is an ultrabold sans with an extensive character set. It bridges the gap between old signage and craftsmanship with modern forms and simplicity. With more than 1000 glyphs, and full Language Support, Bemio is versatile and robust.

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http://www.losttype.com/font/?name=bemio&source=e

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Walt Disney and Salvador Dali - Destiny (Destino) - a 58 year production - very surreal,...

Reshared post from +Sean Cowen

Walt Disney and Salvador Dali - Destiny (Destino) - a 58 year production - very surreal, of course, and fascinating to watch...

The film tells the story of Chronos, the personification of time and the inability to realize his desire to love for a mortal. The scenes blend a series of surreal paintings of Dali with dancing and metamorphosis. The target production began in 1945, 58 years before its completion and was a collaboration between Walt Disney and the Spanish surrealist painter, Salvador Dalí. Salvador Dali and Walt Disney Destiny was produced by Dali and John Hench for 8 months between 1945 and 1946.

Dali, at the time, Hench described as a "ghostly figure" who knew better than Dali or the secrets of the Disney film. For some time, the project remained a secret. The work of painter Salvador Dali was to prepare a six-minute sequence combining animation with live dancers and special effects for a movie in the same format of "Fantasia." Dali in the studio working on The Disney characters are fighting against time, the giant sundial that emerges from the great stone face of Jupiter and that determines the fate of all human novels. Dalí and Hench were creating a new animation technique, the cinematic equivalent of "paranoid critique" of Dali. Method inspired by the work of Freud on the subconscious and the inclusion of hidden and double images.

Dalí said: "Entertainment highlights the art, its possibilities are endless." The plot of the film was described by. Dalí as "A magical display of the problem of life in the labyrinth of time."

Walt Disney said it was "A simple story about a young girl in search of true love."

#salvadordali #dali #surrealism #surreal #disney #waltdisney #art #animation

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A comprehensive overview on HTML5 Video, and if you should use it

Everybody talks about video on websites and if you create websites you are sitting on the fence all the time asking yourself if you should already go with HTML5 Video or not. This overview can help you make the decision - and the guys know what they are talking about - they are the maker of the very popular JW Player.

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The State Of HTML5 Video

HTML5 has entered the online video market, which is both exciting and challenging for developers in the industry. With both the HTML5 specification and the various browser implementations in constant ...

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Designing the Modern Atlas

Great Article and poor comments - people ask for features when it's about a design process. Reshared post from +Google Maps

Ever wondered about the design process for Google Maps? Step behind the scenes and learn how two members of our user interface team, +Willem Van Lancker and +Jonah Jones, design the modern atlas. http://goo.gl/S691F

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Great interactive Tutorial about Google Maps

Google Maps is one of the best Web-Apps ever created. There might be discussions about the costs for website owners, but as a consumer it's a blessing. Most functionality like creating your own maps etc. on the other hand is not so obvious and this tutorial gives an easy overview on how to make Google Maps even more useful.

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Google Maps — Start here.

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Great Guide on how to migrate your Facebook Application Profile Page to a Facebook...

Great Guide on how to migrate your Facebook Application Profile Page to a Facebook PageFacebook is sometimes confusing, but they try to simplify. I and many others have setup a Facebook Application to integrate Services like Facebook Comments into their blog. This Applications had a on Profile page (looked like a Fan Page) and used these Pages instead of creating a separate one. These Application Profile Pages lacked some features and are now deprecated by the end of the Month.

So hurry up if you want to preserve your "Likes" and Vanity URL and migrate now.

#Facebook #Application #Migration

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Migrating an SFC Application to a Fan Page Still getting emails about this one, so here's a quick rundown on how to do it. First, if you were already using a Fan Page, then you are not affected at all and don't have to do anything. Please stop...

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Yet another celebrated, but unimpressive Task Manager - Wunderkit Todo List App

I've tried the first iteration of the Berlin based startup called Wunderlist and I wasn't impressed. After Remember The Milk, Any.Do and the 1 million other task managers I tried I'm pretty spoiled. It seems to me that 6Wunderkinder didn't do their research work properly, as with many "new" products coming from startups solving "new" problems. They solve problems already solved - often times more cleverly or they don't solve them at all.

And Wunderkit has the same problem as ALL software has - it starts out nice and clean with just the minimum functionality because someone felt, that the current solution is too clunky and overloaded. In a second step they add functionality because the minimum set of features just meets the demands of a minimum set of customers - if you want to be sustainable and grow you need more customers and you have to meet their needs - by adding new features.

After a couple of versions you end up just as clunky and feature rich as the solution it was replacing.

As for Wunderkit the addition of social features is one that breaks the whole "get something done" principle and honestly the design is not readable not practical. It's nice to look at - if you don't care about design in it's real sense and I'm sure it fits nicely in the Apple world of "undesign" that all the iPhone Apps are famous for.

#taskmanager #startup #design

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How to avoid the "Lock in Effect" in Wordpress Themes and Plugins

How to avoid the "Lock in Effect" in Wordpress Themes and PluginsWordpress is a great open source platform ... but open might turn into closed by using certain plugins and themes that prevent you from moving on ... here is a good guide on what to look out for.

#wordpress #guide #themes

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Google+: View post on Google+About the “Lock in Effect” in WordPress Themes and Plugins The WordPress themes and plugins market is huge these days. With all that wide range of products available, we sometimes stumble into situations where we’d like to change our mind, i.e. use a different plugin or theme instead of the one we’re currently using. Eventually we figure out that it’s incredibly tough to replace some of the themes and plugins, because as soon as they’re deactivated, all (or part) of our data is lost, and the new theme or plugin that was supposed to replace the old on...

Best new Corporate Identities of 2011

I like this list, and especially that you could vote on the "before" logo as well. And there are more than one example where the old logo has got just as much votes as the new one. This means IMO that many re-designs are motivated by changes on the management level of the company/firm/... and not driven by necessity.

#corporate #identity #design

Reshared post from +Ian Hex

And now time for Part 2 from Brand New, this time: The Best Identities of 2011 -> http://goo.gl/UX8Wv

Of all the ones listed, I love, love, love the new OCAD University identity, because it embodies everything that should be done in modern-day identity design: it's simple and timeless, yet typographically pure, totally fluid, flexible and has a near limitless range of application; it's doesn't have to be consistent because it's coherent.

To be sure to check these out.

Also, happy to see the Little Chef redesign got on there.

#hex_logos-identities

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Read my thoughts/tricks/... in Google Currents Edition

I had to try this out immediately. The Currents App from Google might not be the perfect Flipboard killer, but with the associated Google Edition Producer you can pimp your content to play nicely with it. I tried a couple of the "convert your blog to an app" tools, and they didn't work for me. I haven't customized it completely, but sure will digg more into it and present my findings here ... and in my Google Currents Edition.

#google #mobile #reader #editions #frankie

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Frankie - Surprise yourself for Android, iPhone and iPad Art director, Designer, former Developer and Product Designer, won some awards and love empowering the design community with tutorials, tips, industry insights, mobile design, creativity tools.

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